Album Review

It's hard to say whether hindsight is an effective tool or not when it comes to music. To look with a critical eye back over the span of an artist's career may not be exactly fair, but it seems quite useful to a listener trying to make a selection of, say, a greatest-hits collection versus individual releases. The work of Krishna Das is a great example. If you examine his albums closely, you will begin to notice a few trends in the track listings. More than once has he done "Hanuman Chaleesa," "Devi Puja," and "Hara Hara Mahadeva," though the former makes nary an appearance on this particular record. However, Sting does. He chirps his way through "Mountain Hare Krishna" with that ever-entrancing Sting voice of his. Of course, the song "Mountain Hare Krishna" was reincarnated on Das' Live on Earth release in 1999. What to do? If you're a hardcore kirtan lover, then you'll want this on your shelf. If you're only looking for a Das sampler, you'd do better to pick up his Live on Earth. That way you throw a wider net capturing his work, and as a bonus you get to avoid the very odd, slightly disconcerting, calypso-style "The Ring Song."

Biography

Born: 31 May 1947

Genre: New Age

Years Active: '00s

The spirituality of India is blended with modern, electronic influences by Long Island, New York-raised Krishna Das (b. Jeffrey Kagel). The founder of Triloka Records, Das continues to update the musical accompaniment to traditional Hindu chanting and satsong. Influential spiritual leader Ram Dass described Das as "an example of someone whose heartsongs open the channels to God". Das' connections to Indian spirituality developed in his early 20s. Having grown up on jazz, blues and rock and roll,...